1. The lines that struck me the most from this overview of the what’s and why’s of biomimicry from Janine Benyus were in the last paragraph – “That [endangerment of natural ecosystems] makes biomimicry more than just a new way of viewing and valuing nature. It’s also a race to the rescue.” It is both a scary and mesmerizing thought, that biodiversity might live on in the form of biomimetic herds, while the originals are long gone. I am imagining the mechanical or digital zoo of the future.

This definition of biomimcry seems to be written for a more corporate audience, for those looking to increase profits or efficiency through biomimetic designs.

3. This is an area I have not thought very much about – designing computer interfaces for animals. The idea of an “interspecies internet” is fascinating. The interesting questions –  “Is the animal consciously interacting with a computer, or even more so, the human being remotely operating it? And if not, does it really matter?” are hard ones to quantify and answer. I know many self punishing absentee pet owners these days, they certainly believe their pets to be lonely, it would be an interesting challenge to solve this problem through the computer in a way that benefits the pet over the owner. As much as I like pets, this concern is a significant part of what has kept me from getting one as yet. “This makes one wonder, what is in it for the fish? Is it fair for humans to use pets this way to try to increase their own happiness?” This question is one I have asked myself before when I have been tempted to populate a small apartment with animals. I am intrigued by this suggestion that perhaps someday bonobos will be able to use ipad to improve their own experience and quality of life on a personal, individual level, and the possibility of this as a goal for other species.